UPDATE: The cemetery is very large (78 acres) and contains more than 210,000 graves. The first burial took place on May 5, 1893. [June 2006]

UPDATE: A searchable online. Included are driving directions and hours of operation, and a searchable database of graves in Mt. Zion/. In the "Quick Search" on the Home page, the user enters the last name of the deceased and the returned data includes a list of all person with that surname, the location, the burial society name, and the date of death. Under the "Interment" tab, the researcher may search by any of seven fields and the website returns up to 200 matches, thus, if you are searching for a list of all graves in particular society plot, you have to get creative in how you search for the graves that do not appear in the initial list of 200. Under the "About Us" tab, there is an informative history of the cemetery and a blurb about some of the notorious persons who are buried there. Under this tab, one can also find a clickable tab to obtain a listing of all of the burial societies with plots in Mt. Zion and a printable map of the entire cemetery. Source - Marlene Bbishow [June 2006]

UPDATE: It seems that the data entered into the Mt. Zion searchable database was taken from the computer they use in the office to locate burials. There were periods of time (could have been decades ago) when burials were being inputted into their computers and for some unknown reason (perhaps haste) were inputted without the full dates of death (please note that these dates are actually burial dates--they know they have to change this, but remember the site just went up the other day and the kinks need to be worked out). The person at the time who inputted the burial information used the number 1 to indicate the day of death. Little by little, the cemetery will be inputting the correct days of death/burial, so be patient. Also the "Block" field does no good for now. It really should be Gate No., as we really know how to locate a society by path and gate numbers. Hopefully, this will be corrected soon too. Please give them time to work out the kinks. Ideally, one should be able to place the correct path number and gate number into the search fields. This will hopefully happen soon, but realize all this will not happen overnight. Also, if you happen to notice that the given name or surname in their database is different than what you know it to be, they will only be able to change it if you show them a copy of their death certificate and it indicates the name you want it changed to. They normally check three of their in-office sources to see if there is a discrepancy in the names, but if in all three sources the name is the same as what's already in their database, it stays that way until they see the death certificate. Source: Steven Lasky [June 2006]

UPDATE: Photographs of gravestones may be provided to out of the area inquirers. Send requests to Mount Zion Cemetery, PO Box 355, Maspeth, NY 11378 or call 718-335-2500. Sending a SASE and small donation might increase your receipt of the photographs. Source: JewishGen Digest, 11 Dec 2002. [December 2002]

"...John Yang's photographs of the small "enamels" he found on stones at Mount Zion Cemetery (Maspeth, Queens). A 112-page book, "John Yang/Mount Zion: Sepulchral Portraits" (ISBN 891024-23-X), was published ... [that] can be purchased online. For details, see the gallery web site at http://www.johnstevenson-gallery.com/Yang_Text.html and the April 27, 2001 NY Times article at Source: http://college2.nytimes.com/guests/articles/2001/04/27/844084.xml Source: Renee Steinig at email:
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in JewishGen Digest 8 Aug 2001.YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, New York, NY.: YIVO'S Landsmanshaftn Archive lists this organization as Record Group (RG 917) and gives the following information. It was organized in 1903 to provide burial plots for members. Records cover the period 1903-1973, (2.5 inches) and contain correspondence and financial records 1926-1973; and cemetery records 1903-1958. The records are in Yiddish and English. The organization was dissolved in the 1970s. In September 1990, I found records supposedly on index cards are not necessarily there. Source: Stephen Cohen:
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Bohemian American Israelite Congregation: {10709} From a personal survey of the section, helped by an out-of-date map provided by the cemetery office for part of the section, this includes some information for burials without gravestones, but some burials without gravestones are missing. The gateway to the section has the names of the synagogue's officers engraved in stone. Source: Larry Freund, Glory1@worldnet.att.net Glory1@worldnet.att.net and lincan@worldnet.att.net

Britchaner Benevolent Association (New York, N.Y.) Records, 1932-1977. Description: 1.9 linear ft. Notes: Landsmanshaft established in 1895 by Jewish immigrants from Brichany, Moldavian S.S.R. ... affiliated with the Britchaner Bessarabian Relief Association. The association was dissolved in 1977. ... and a "golden book" (a record of deaths) for both funds; ... Also, materials relating to the burial benefits the association provided for members. These include a "golden book" (record of deaths); a notebook containing grave reservations in Mount Zion Cemetery located in Maspeth (a part of Queens) and in Mount Hebron Cemetery located in Flushing; a notebook recording members' illnesses and burials; a funeral assistance receipt book; burial and monument permit books (also in Mount Hebron and Mount Zion cemeteries); and plot deeds and reservations. YIVO collections are in Yiddish, Russian, Polish, English, Hebrew, and other European and non-European languages. Location: YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, New York, NY. Control No.: NXYH89-A852 [December 2000]

Cong Brith Sholem Bnei Yitzcnok Section: Congregation Brith Sholem Bnei Yitzcnok is the new name of the section. The original name was Sheva Ben Issac Anshei Ropcycz. People buried here all came from Ropcycz. Source: Carolyn Putterman at PO Box 2161, St. James, NY 11780 [February 2004]

Devenishker Verein of Greater New York 135 burials; landsmannschaft for the town of Dievenishkes, Lithuania. (Path 36 Right, Gate 21)

Drohobych & Borislav Society: for the Chev. Goale Chev. Ans. Drohobitch & Boreslover Society, which is in Mt. Zion Cemetery. The Society was liquidated in 1976. J. Stempa at the cemetery will do research for $15.00. Burials took place between 1905 and 1988 and total 177 plots. Ann Rabinowitz has a drawing of the plots. PQUA32A@prodigy.com

Erste Sadagera KUV Sadagera refers to Sadgora, 6 km NNE of Chernovtsy, Ukraine. About 100 names are listed with burials from about 1903 to 1995, but mostly in the first half of century. If the society is still active or who is in charge other than the Mt. Zion people is unknown. The original Yiddish name was (K.U.V.) Kranken Untershtitzung Verein. Located on Path 12 of the Left Section. Source: Carl Ulrich, Box 77, Peers, Alberta Canada T0E 1W0 culrich@yellowhead.com and Bruce Reisch bruce.reisch@cornell.edu

First Chevre Zoliner: also known as Zoliner Chevra, founded 1901. There are plots in three area cemeteries. All three locations have informational posts at the gate. The other two locations are Mount Hebron and Floral Park Cemetery, Monmouth Junction, NJ. Location: Middle of Path 13; enter from westernmost roadway. Plot is directly opposite the big smokestacks). Source: Michael A. Miller; e-mail: mamnys@aol.com

First Solotwiner Society:

First Stanislauer Y.M.B.A.: Path 44 Right;

Grodno Aid Benevolent Association of Brooklyn: Organization founded on August 23, 1903; gates erected in 1961. Site: Gate 8, Path 38R. 17 names, some of the older names, i.e., not all are included in the listing.

4.) photographs and inscriptions from 18 graves located in the Moses Sher Family Plot of Congregation Nachlach Zee. Source: Jane Wechsler, PenR29123@aol.com

Kishineff Sick Benevolent Society A xerox copy of the society's 1923 year book for celebrating their 20th anniversary (1903-1923 is at Brandeis University as well as a copy of the 1913 Incorporation Papers filed in New York City that includes the names and addresses of the original board members. The year book has a brief history of the Society, greetings from several officers and names of people on various committees, and also contributors, their addresses, telephone numbers and in most cases their business or profession. Has a copy: Mary Floy Schulz Katzman, Framingham, MA: maryfloy@usa1.com

Ostrow Mazowiecka: Chevra Bakish Sholom Anshei Ostrover Burial Society Source: wg@panix.com Progressive Brethren of Niswizer {10724} (according to the Path D Gate 2 site map) or "Progressive Brethren of Nieshvis" as inscribed on the Arch and gates. There are 816 graves, the earliest being 1901 and the latest 1997. Most of the burials took place in the 30's and 40's. Mt. Zion Cemetery, difficult to navigate, off Maurice Avenue, near the Long Island Expressway entrance to the Queens Midtown Tunnel next to a Department of Sanitation incinerator. The immediate area is mostly industrial and has seen better days. Path D Gate 2, which has the inscribed marble arches and small marble stanchions on either side of the entrance along the front (and for the full width) of that site, was in the best repair of the three. Path D Gate 3, across the path from Gate 2, is in very bad repair. The gates are badly rusted and have fallen off the hinges. There is graffiti on the two columns that had supported the gates. At this site is a small section in the rear where infants were buried. Most of those stones are illegible or sunken into the ground. The gates to Right 26 were in good repair as were the individual gravesites. I visited these graves before the strike. Compiled by Elliott Terman, June 1998.